Holiday Hours

Mudd Puppies will be closed December 24, 25, 31, and January 1.
Our holiday hours from December 26 - January 2 will be 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sundays 12:00 Noon - 5:00 p.m. We will resume regular business hours on January 3.

First the Website, Now the Blog

I wanted to put this entry from the Tripod blog here for anyone who might be confused by the new address and appearance.

I've just finished moving the blog to a new host. There are a few reasons for doing this, but from the user's end (you the reader) the indexing is more comprehensive if you are looking for a specific entry. This will also allow me to reference a specific entry as opposed to sending you to "THE BLOG" and leaving it to you to find the entry. It also gives me a lot more freedom in design so it just looks nicer. I will leave the tripod blog posted for a time for people who may have linked directly to that page.

I've deleted the entries on recalls because most of them are outdated, as well as events in Columbia that have already passed. Rest assured I will continue to post new information as it becomes available.

I hope you like the changes and are able to access the information available much easier.

Training Tips

I've covered a lot of information about flawed training and behavior theories and thought I should probably cover some information about what you should do.

I've mentioned several trainers that I admire, but my favorite is Dr. Patricia McConnell. It's been said that Ian Dunbar is the father of non-aversive training and Karen Pryor is the mother. I would say that Patricia McConnell is the daughter, taking the best of both and combining it with her own experience and knowledge. Allow me to talk a little about her first.

Dr. Patricia McConnell is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and received her Ph.D. in zoology at the University of Wisconsin, "researching dog behavior and communication between professional trainers and working domestic animals." She received the Allee Award from the Animal Behavior Society for her dissertation. Until recently Dr. McConnell also ran Dogs Best Friend Training, LLC. She was the co-host for Pet Line on Animal Planet and for 14 years she was the co-host for Calling All Pets on Wisconsin Public Radio.

Dr. McConnell is constantly giving seminars and is a well published author. Although I've loved everything I've read by her, her book, "For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Dog" is the best book I have ever read, bar none.

I can only hope to achieve her understanding of behavior and training capability one day, which is what I aspire to.

That said, her website has some great training tips. All of these tips I'm linking to here reference books or booklets by Dr. McConnell, but most of them are available for less than $10 and some for about $5. Well worth the investment. (And a little self-promotion, we carry most of her booklets at Mudd Puppies). I could ramble on further about the page, but I think it pretty well speaks for itself.

http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/top-ten-training-tips.html

Registered Dogs

I wanted to mention one more aspect of adopting a puppy for X-mas (or any time): the registration.

Of course, the most well known registration a dog can have is from the American Kennel Club (AKC). Because of the AKC standards, it's very easy to talk to the breeder, the breeder of the parent dogs, etc. This allows you to get information about temperaments, health issues, and any other concerns you have or information you may want.

This is not to say that a dog has to have AKC registration to be a good dog. Some breeds, such as Catahoula Leopard Dogs are not members of the AKC but are very organized and have an excellent registry. Point being there are other registries out there that are reputable, but you should educate yourself about them instead of getting a dog solely because he has an alphabet soup after his name.

As a result of not being able to register their dogs, pet stores, puppy mills, and families have gotten together to form registries, some cleverly naming them to have the same acronym as reputable registries. Beware of people asking for money up front, people wanting to ship a dog to you, and people who will not allow you to see their facilities, usually suggesting you meet somewhere to pick up the puppy. See my post about puppy mills for more information titled "Puppies for Sale at Mudd Puppies."

"Leilah's Mom" wrote an excellent article about things to be aware of if you are looking for a registered puppy. The AKC also sent me an article full of good information. I hope you'll take a look before you get a "registered" puppy. (Links are at the bottom of this entry.)

I feel I should also mention here that although I love the dogs I have now, the best dog I ever had was a mutt. But dogs are like people in that just because they have an excellent pedigree does not mean they may not have problems. Likewise, because they are a mutt doesn't mean they will have all the best or worst traits of their breeds.

If you're wanting a specific breed, I strongly urge you to educate yourself. And, if you're just wanting a companion, I again recommend checking at your local shelter or looking into a breed specific rescue organization.

http://www.wonderpuppy.net/kc.htm
http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=3220

Dog Adoptions

I wanted to do something a little more positive and something reminded me of this the other day. Plus with the holidays coming and the potential for giving pets as gifts, I thought I'd revisit the topic of pet adoptions. The last discussion was geared more towards avoiding puppy mills, but this time I wanted to give some other options.

I used to volunteer for the American Brittany Rescue (ABR) until I opened the store and plan to get back to that when my schedule allows. Most, if not all rescue organizations have a screening process in place to make sure the dog is in good health, up to date on thier shots, and the potential owners can meet the dogs needs. Most can transport the dog to your location, one of the things I used to do with the ABR and we would transport for other oganizations as well. A large majority of the dogs, at least most of the ones I worked with, had nothing wrong with them, it was just that their owners were unable to care for them forvarious reasons, ie, moving, too many dogs, etc. A few did have medical conditions that did require treatment.

If you're thinking of giving a dog for X-mas or are looking for a dog for yourself, or if you'd like to help (organizations are always looking for foster homes and other volunteer help) I hope you'll consider checking with your local shelter or one of these rescue organizations.

The American Kennel Club has a very comprehensive list of breed specific rescue organizations at http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm.

Loss and Mourning

A good friend of mine dropped by the store on his way home to tell me he had to euthanize his companion of over 10 years. I was reminded of when I had to have Talbot euthanized. It was the best thing I could have done for him, but that didn't make it any easier. The same was true for Joe: an undiagnosed problem made it the most humane course of action.

I've been thinking for a while about doing an entry discussing the comment that "it's just a dog." Yes, they are just dogs, but what does that actually mean? Dogs are not automatons that are totally motivated by self-preservation and species-preservation with no thoughts or feelings, but they are not furry little children either. But I don't have all my thoughts collected right now, so it will have to come later.

Right now, I'm just going to mourn the loss of Joe, Talbot, Josette, Henry, Max, Malikai, Smoke, and all the other dogs that have touched my life.

http://www.theotherendoftheleash.com/category/death-of-a-pet/

Dominance in domestic dogs - useful construct or bad habit

Dominance in domestic dogs - useful construct or bad habit

I'm starting to feel like I'm on a crusade against dominance theory and the "alpha dog" misconception. However, I believe it has permeated people's thinking to the point that it bares repeating.

I was surprised I hadn't mentioned this study, published last May in The Journal of Veterinary Behavior, but such is my schedule. The paper argues and research shows that dominance is not a motivating factor, but an aspect of the relationship between two individuals.

The first link is to the website and page where a copy of the paper is available. The second link is to the actual study.

http://www.pawsoflife.org/K9trainlib.html
http://www.pawsoflife.org/pdf/Library%20articles/Bradshaw%202009.pdf

Training Techniques

There are two links at the bottom of this entry to a couple of articles written by Lisa Mullinax, CPDT. Although they are personal opinion, I believe her to be very rational, insightful, and her opinions backed up by experience and research.

I'm not one that usually comes out against a particular person and I can usually find and try to say something nice about everyone. I do believe the techniques Mullinax is arguing against need close scrutiny and pet owners should find more resources than a popular tv show to train their dog/s, particularly when so many experienced trainers and organizations have come out against those techniques.

The second article is in response to comments made about the first article. They are comments I constantly see on boards which Millinax does an excellent job of countering, explaining, and dispelling.

I don't want to be a person that just says "Don't do that" or "You're doing it wrong." So again, I'll mention a few of my favorite trainers/behaviorists to go along with the suggestions by Mullinax: Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell, Victoria Stillwell, Karen Pryor, Sarah Kalnajs. All of these trainers are published writers (Mudd Puppies carries some of their books), and their websites can be found on my dog links page.

Finally, the links to the articles:
http://www.4pawsu.com/dogpsychology.htm
http://www.4pawsu.com/cesarfans.htm

Puppies for X-mas

Dogs go through several changes in the first few months of life known as sensitive periods. The stimuli they are exposed to during these times can have a lasting effect on a dog and should be considered when bringing a new puppy into the home. I want to speak a little on what is known as the "fear" period because it coincides with the 8 week time period puppies are usually adopted.

During this sensitive period the puppies will form attachments to places, people, and other animals. It is necessary that the puppies have contact with other dogs during this period so socialization can occur with their own species. Puppies exposed to other stimuli, including other species and places, between the fifth and ninth week have the fewest problems later in life relating to those species or similar situations. It is imperative that herding and guarding puppies be exposed to the animals they will be interacting with later in life for proper socialization to occur with the livestock. As little as 20 minutes of interaction a day between the fourth and twelfth may be all that is necessary for this inter-species socialization to occur and has been shown to be the optimal period for dogs to become socialized to humans. However, the more concentrated the interaction, the better the effect.

Stimulation, or lack thereof, at this point will have a very strong influence on later behavior which can be difficult, if not impossible to change or modify later. During this period, aversive stimuli can have a lasting effect.

Because X-mas is such an excitable time, a new puppy can become withdrawn or fearful. However, to socialize a new puppy with their new family, it is a good idea to have a few days off to spend time with him.

If you want to give a puppy as a gift, I suggest giving the recipient a leash and collar as a gift, or perhaps a card with something written on it to the effect of "valid for one new puppy." Then, perhaps the rest of the day can be spent placing the dog bed, kennel, dishes etc. After X-mas, when things have settled down a little, the new puppy can be picked up. As most people get the week between X-mas and New Year off, this is an ideal bonding time as well.

For more information on sensitive periods in dogs, see:

Canine Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians (1999) by Bonnie Beaver

How Dogs Think: Understanding the Canine Mind (2004) by Stanely Coren

The Art of Raising a Puppy (1991) by The Monks of New Skete

The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People (2007) by James Serpell

Puppies for Sale at Mudd Puppies

I've been receiving a lot of calls lately from people asking if we had certain breeds of dogs for sale. It is our policy to never sell, advertise or endorse any breeder or the sale of any dog. This may seem a bit extreme, but there is good reason for it. Missouri leads the country in the number of puppy mills. Because it is impossible for us to check every "breeder," we have just made a blanket policy.

For anyone who still doesn't know, a puppy mill (in simplest terms) is a breeder who breeds solely for profit with no concern for the health or well being of the dogs.

What we suggest and recommend is checking with your local shelter. Here in Columbia, there is the Central Missouri Humane Society, Columbia Second Chance, and Happy Tails. If you are looking for a specific breed, there are breed specific rescue organizations, such as the American Brittany Rescue where I got my Brittany. There are links on our links page to all of these organizations. If you are looking for one of the rescues, a quick Google search will bring up what you need.

For more information on Puppy Mills check these links:
http://www.puppymillrescue.com/what_is_a_puppy_mill.htm
http://www.maal.org/Puppy-Mills.asp
http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/

Dominance Theory

There is a lot of information and television programs that tout the merits of being the "pack leader" or "alpha dog." At best, this method is misunderstood and poorly defined by the media and proponents of this method.

The theory itself has been loosing favor in the pet training field for several years. The most highly respected trainers (by their peers) use non-aversive training techniques. These include Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell, and Karen Pryor. All are published writers and well worth checking into.

More info on the topic can found at:
http://www.clickertraining.com/node/2297
http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/dominance%20statement.pdf

I think this bares repeating

I wanted to revisit the subject of different types of collars. As reasearch and articles have been written by people much more informed than I, I'll just leave a few links to their research. I will say that as long as I own Mudd Puppies, we will never carry or sell any aversive training collars and will always recommend flat collars as "a place to hang their tags."

There's a lot more information out there, but the research done since 1980 (the first study I'm aware of) all point to the same thing.

http://www.dogremedies.com/dangers_choke_pinch_shock.html

http://www.helpinganimals.com/animalsHome_dogs_collar.asp

Humane Society Files Class Aciton Lawsuit Against Petland

Because Missouri leads the country in the number of puppy mills, I thought this relevant.

Some thoughts on the matter include:

If the "breeder" won't let you see their facilities, it's probably a mill.

Any dog can have papers if the parents are known, this does not mean they are papers from the AKC or the dog has been properly bred. Some organizations have reportedly been formed to give dogs papers even though they are of questionable breeding. A good guideline is to look for AKC paperwork and possibly the denotation of champion for one or both parents.

NEVER buy dog from a pet store as they are almost guaranteed to be from a mill.

There are a number of rescue centers (like the humane society) and breed specific rescue organizations (like the American Brittany Rescue) which test for temperament, sociability, etc. which would be a much better choice. You may not get a show quality dog, but you'll get a great companion.

There is a wealth of knowledge on the internet or at your local Humane Society about puppy mills and how to avoid them. More information about the suit can be found at

http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/petland_litigation_sm_031709.html

Dangers of Choke Collars

I recently came across a study on choke chains done in 1992. The findings concluded that choke collars can damage the cervical sympathetic nerve, the neck and back vertebrae, and cause foreleg paralysis among other things.

I personally believe collars should only be used as a place to hang a dog's tags. And with all the accessories available today that work on principles other than brute force, there's really no valid reason to use a choke collar.

I am a strong advocate of head collars and harnesses (perhaps that's another blog) although you should talk with a certified trainer before attempting to train with either.

For more information on the study, search for 1992, Sweden, and Hallgreen.